Chapter 11

We arrived home after walking a couple of hours. Mary then laid down and I went down cellar and worked on the bracelets. Miriam did say woven wire so I took six strands of #14 copper wire and twisted them into a tight bundle. The bundle was long enough to make 2 loops each for the two wrists. I silver soldered the loose wire ends together just enough so they wouldn’t unravel. I then cut my twisted wire in half and soldered these loose wires together so these ends wouldn’t unravel.

Next, I asked Mary for a pair of earrings she could dispense with. I tore these apart for the two studs and the caps. At the copper ends of the two bracelets, I soldered a flat piece of copper, and the wires together with the copper soldered between the wires on one end. This, I soldered the stud to the other end of each set of copper wires, I soldered a same-sized piece of copper and drilled a hole in it, put the stud through the hole and put the cap on.

I knew my design might not be perfect, but I had enough supplies to make a hundred bracelets. I hoped these would last long enough to see if there were any benefits to wearing them. I worried the caps might not stay on very long, but we would see. I could see where I could solder a small nut and use a screw to have them come apart, but that necessitated a tool to carry to remove them. Oh well, this hadn’t been very time consuming.

The next item was the Epsom Salts and that was no problem with just a matter of warm water and salts in it. The balm and oils were where I had little or no knowledge. But then, Miriam of the dreams said I was sensible. I opened the box that came with the druggist’s supplies and the bubble bag I had ordered the Cannabis oil from a concern named, “Potions and Lotions.” In the last was a small plastic cup that said it contained a more solid balm of CBD salve. The bag also included Wintergreen, Cedar, and Peppermint oils.

I set about mixing three different small amounts of the different oil in with the salve of CBD. All included the Cannabis oil on top of what else I added. I would caution Sam that if there was any inflammation or itching to stop immediately and wash with soap and water. Finally I was where I wanted to be and could suggest these would help Sam with his painful hands.

It was a wonderful day with Mary. We went to bed early, snuggled a little, talked about the baby, and went to sleep. I don’t know what time it was, not early because I had been up once. I was a little restless.

Suddenly I was sitting in a place I didn’t know. Mary spoke to me. I turned to look at her to ask a question. It wasn’t my Mary–no! this was Miriam of the Holy land.

“Pete, I believe it is time for me to speak to you. First, I want to commend you for the way you have treated Mary. The poor woman was so mixed up and unhappy when you first met. My Peter treated me in much the same way and I have come to love him very much. I must tell you that you think that Mary has an unusual power because of the way she is marked.

“That isn’t entirely the case because it is you who energized it. The power is still there, but the real power comes through you. My Peter didn’t come to the fore until after we met, fell in love and married. By that time, Man whom we have named the Christ had risen and Peter never met him. I could deny that I had, but I know differently.

“I’m sure you are aware that Peter was and is a scribe. The Disciples who follow Christ, have great need as they go out into the known world to teach His word to the masses to come together and follow Him.

“A small number with the same attributes work side by side with Peter, writing letters and sending them off to the Disciples about what each one is doing in whatever country they are teaching in. The couriers return with a letter from that disciple who has written how he is progressing. Peter is to make ten copies to share with the rest of the Disciples. Sadly, there are only ten letters to copy and send because one of the disciples faltered early on and fell by the wayside.”

Was I awake?

I knew I must be, but I was still in the Holy Land. Miriam wasn’t standing there where she was when she first spoke. I looked then out over a valley and could see farm land in the distance. I looked at the dwelling. From the dreams that Mary related, Miriam was supposedly a rich woman, but this wasn’t a rich person’s home. There were some children’s toys, mostly of small carved wooden animals. Some small child had made a barn-like shelter for the animals. There were pastures and fencing of little twigs to keep them penned.

“Peter, I know what you are thinking. You are wondering where my money went aren’t you? It is mostly gone, but that is okay. I use it for the courier’s traveling expenses.

“My Peter earns what we live on and it feeds us from my brother’s farming activities. Scribes are not paid well, but we are happy and things are getting better. Always the Disciples need money for their food, especially when they move to a different town. After that, those pilgrims whom they teach donate their living expenses and they do the same here for us. My brothers all help after I shared with them so we always have enough.

“You were poor once, but you accepted it and now you are rich. Mary was in the same situation and spread her largess to her brothers. Riches have come your way which must be a unexpected surprise. You and Mary seem to be on the same path using your money wisely. It all comes back to you in love and goodwill and you both are admired the way you help and support everyone. You forgave the woman who took your money without expecting to see any of it again. Not knowing it was helping him, you and Mary made the little boy whole again,. Can she not pay you back? Either way, if she does or doesn’t it is the same to you.”

I had questions in my mind, so how was I to have them answered?

“You are wondering where Peter is, aren’t you? (I was) The scribes work in the cave behind our home. Through the cave, it has an opening on the other side of the mountain that is used for the couriers to enter and exit without knowledge of those who would harm us.

“You are puzzled by what is so important about the chest, the stand with drawers, and especially the picture?” (My questions were answered immediately.) “The stand isn’t important and only to set the small chest on. You should inspect the chest more closely though, and you will discover something of value you can use. They are items that have power stored in them and you will recognize that they have.

“The picture is just what it depicts. I didn’t realize it at the time when I first came in contact with The Christ. I wear my marks proudly and have never revealed the fact because pride is a sin. When the feelings of joy that are happening and overrides me, they are better than any riches a person can have.

“This is a troubled land with the Jewish King set here controlled by the Romans against the new Christian movement. Life under the Christians is a softer, gentler way of life and less rigid. (But) we are all Jews from the beginning of time and our blood has soaked this land that the Lord gave to us back 5,000 thousand or more years ago. In the future, we may lose this land as we have many times over and be driven into exile. We have been a fierce people forever, and will regain it each time even if we should lose it for a short time.

”Pete, you are a person with an unusual sense of right and wrong, of what is correct and incorrect, and what will work and what will not. Listen to your self for that sense. Pete, I hope you have enjoyed your dream. Goodnight.” This dream I was a part of didn’t just cease, it faded away. Well, what do you know about that?

Chloe had called and Mary asked if she was needed at the restaurant today, “Not if you would watch Ricky. I hate to keep asking you to take care of him. Guido and I are going to do some figuring soon on how I’m going to be able to work and who is going to watch Ricky. You are soon to have one of your own. I don’t want to wear out our friendship.”

“Chloe, I’ll help as much as I can.”

“I know, but it isn’t fair you have to.”

I kissed Mary on the cheek, waved that I was leaving and left. I went over to Sam Giles’ wood working shop and he was already there. “Sam, I brought some things to try to get rid of the pain in your hands. Can we stop early this afternoon and go over to your house so I can get with your wife to explain everything I’m working on for you? This may not help, but I want you to give it our best shot. It will take a while to show improvement.

“How long do you think?”

“Sam, I have no idea. I should think two weeks or a month. If there is no improvement, we’ll try something else. The only assurance I can give you is that it won’t harm you.”

“That’s good enough.”

The only work today was to mill the extra battens that were needed. We ran them through a molding machine to hide the mistake in the narrow panels. We just thinned a number of pieces needed to leave a bead strip in the center. It worked well and we finished this early enough to go to Sam’s house. I carried a box with me that held the oils and the Epsom Salts. I thought what I would need to begin the treatment. I figured I would ease Sam into this program and not put it all together today.

I would query Sam after each segment on how he felt if it was helping or was uncomfortable. I was told by Miriam, that I had a sense of everything and I wondered momentarily about that. This was when I was packing up the box in the morning. I probably would be thinking about it tonight as I was waiting on sleep to come.

I had met Clara Giles one time before. She spoke to Sam before she looked at me. She asked, “How are your hand’s today, Sam?”

“About the same, Sweetheart. Pete is going to try something that he thinks may help. I’m going to give it a try for a month anyway. Do you have a small wash basin that I can put my hands in to soak? Something that will cover both hands to my wrists?”

“Oh I hope this helps, Mr. Manning.”

“I’ve made up some potions and none of them are harmful. I’ll explain, first I want him too soak his hands. We’ll use as little water as possible and measure it for quantity. Then we’ll put in a quarter of a cup of Epson salts per quart. When the water cools off we’ll put in another quart of water and another quarter cup of the other.

“When this begins to feel cool again empty the cool water and immediately fill it with ice water from the fridge. This may be painful so we’ll only keep his hands in the cold water a minute and it should open the pores in the skin on his wrists.

“I have mixed up a compound that contains some Aloe Vera lotion bought at the drugstore off the shelf. I put in the lotion, five drops of Hemp oil, four drops of Cedar oil, three drops of Peppermint oil, and I teaspoon of hemp salve. This should be enough for five applications. We’ll try that to see if it helps. Rub his hands gently until the oil has disappeared into his skin. There are two places where it should be rubbed more often.

“One place is on his wrists where I’m giving him a bracelet of copper to wear there during the day. I was going to have them ready last night, but I had something to check on first. Anyway, the second place is on the bumps of the joints. Remember to be gentle for they are very sensitive. Is this something you can do?

“Of course I can, and will. You can count on me.”

“Okay, let’s begin. I’ll watch you. I have directions I’ll also leave with you. When these portions are gone in five days, I’ll come and let you mix it. If there is no indication his hands are showing any improvement, I’ll try a different combination of the oils. I do have one more oil, but I am reluctant to use it.”

“What would that be.”

“It is Cannabis oil. The period of history I’m taking all this from, they would not have progressed as far to eliminate the THC in the plant. We can always go back to it.”

“Maybe I’d still have hurting, but happy hands, Clara.”

“Sam, cut out the jokes!” All three of us laughed.

Clara heated hot water and filled the basin with enough water to bring it up to his wrists a little way. It took thirteen minutes to cool down to where Sam wanted it warmed again. All in all I was with Sam and Clara two hours.

Mary asked how things went. She paused and looked at the small box in my hand. “What’s in the box? You took it with you when you left here”

“It is the bracelets I was going to give Sam. I had second thoughts. I forgot to mention that I had a dream last night and Miriam talked to me in it. She told me to inspect the oak chest more closely for there something of value in it.”

“My Miriam? How could you forget to mention something like that to me?”

“Mary, please don’t be upset. I had no idea that this was going to happen with her speaking directly to me. She indicated a couple of things which surprised me. I have the idea that your Miriam being marked the way you both are was an intended action. Miriam has joyfully given most of her estate to Peter to fulfill his life’s work which is using his skill as a scribe. When he receives a letter from one of the Disciples, he makes ten copies and has been using Miriam’s money to send a courier to deliver them, one each to the other Disciples.”

“I can understand that, but why is it you are the one to become involved in any of this?”

“I’m sorry to hurt your feelings, but I am already involved. Do you want me to tell you why and how I am involved?”

“You had better. Pete, we have had a wonderful life together and I don’t want this stuff, something that is true or not, to come between us. I thought my chore of making Ricky whole again would be the end and I wouldn’t have to think about Miriam and the Holy Land again. I would be so relieved that most of this is behind me and I could go on and be an ordinary housewife to you.”

“Mary you have been relieved of that already.”

“Well then, tell me why I am.”

“Miriam told me that you were made to believe it was you who was behind the miracle and you were absolved of things that you did to someone.”

“So?”

“I am going to tell you, but I don’t know how you are going to take it.”

“Just spit it out.”

“Okay.

I stopped and took a deep breath. “Mary, it wasn’t you who caused all of this to happen to Ricky. I was informed that it is I where the real power lies.” I rushed on, “I feel all this that is coming in the future to us and the burden you carried now is on my shoulders. I think this is the time we should inspect the chest and get some indication of what the future holds.”

“Pete, I’ll bring it to you. I was looking at it just before you arrived home. I knew it must hold some mystery and we would be enlightened some day. I’m going to bed. Wake me if there is anything interesting.”

I took it and held it in my hands. It seemed heavier than just the wood that was in the construction, being empty as it supposedly was. I shook it and I could hear a small clunking sound. It did not vibrate the box at all so it must be something fairly small. I examined it closely. I could see on one end where it had been damaged a little on the corner.

I could see that there were two pieces of wood which came mitered together to make a right angle of the corner. I took a thin knife where the wood had separated a bit. Working the knife gently into the space it showed an indentation across the wide end. Here there was this separate strip of wood across one end about an inch wide. My thought was that this was a rare fine piece of workmanship and I wouldn’t have seen it if it hadn’t been damaged. I removed the strip of wood one inch wide and I inch high.

I pried it loose and could see there was a single board behind this. I tipped the chest up and this board slid out. I knew immediately why the chest was heavy. There were ten holes in this board and there were the copper slugs like the one in the corner of the picture filling the holes. I caught one copper with the tip of my knife and it came right out. I turned it over in my hand and there was the scratch resembling a fish.

This piece of round copper was a bit thicker than a penny, a little larger than a nickel, but not as large as a quarter. I dug out another copper from another pile and it was identical. I still had no idea how many there were. Taking one of Mary’s cookie sheets, I placed it on top of the board and turned it over. I had ten piles of the coppers on the sheet when I lifted the board straight up.

I’ll amend that fact! There were five coppers in each pile except there was a bit of leather now on top of four piles to replace the four that were missing. This was odd; Why were four missing?

In my chair I sat back puzzling over this fact. The answer came to me. Two coins were used to buy bread for the boy and his mother at the well. A single coin to buy bread the night Miriam met Peter, and of course, one coin that was in the corner of the painting that we attributed to the miracle of Ricky’s foot becoming corrected. Maybe too simple an explanation, but who would argue with me

“Mary, wake up, I think I have the answer to much that is going on with the coppers that seem to have a certain power. It is more of a feeling than knowing, but I believe I am right. I now have a quantity of the coppers just like the one in the painting. I believe I have a certain power to distribute them when I meet a person who is deserving of some help. I’m going to take two of them and attach them to the bracelets I made for Sam Giles. I believe strongly that he soon will be without the pain in his hands.”

“Pete, explain this to me in the morning. I’m tired tonight and I don’t believe I can wake up enough to listen to you. You told me that you have the power according to Miriam and I am happy to leave it in your hands. Kiss me goodnight again.”

I went into where I had the chest and the coppers on the table and methodically put everything back together, leaving two coppers out. I would see about hiding them in the chest so anyone suspecting the chest was unusual wouldn’t know about the hidden coppers. I would examine it and try to discover what I had been directed to find. That might be a problem and I would leave it for tonight.

I went down to the cellar and replaced the spacers that kept the wires apart with the two coppers, one on each bracelet. I made sure that the fish that was scratched into the copper would be on the inside of the wrist and against the skin at that point. More and more I was becoming satisfied with what I was doing. I had an exalted feeling as I finished the second bracelet.

Mary was wide awake in the morning and I had promised Chloe she would watch Ricky today. “You woke me up last night, didn’t you? I was so sleepy I knew I couldn’t pay attention to what you would be telling me. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, sweetheart. I finished and wanted to put the chest back together. I’ll tell you about what I found, so I drew you a sketch of what was inside the chest. There was a separate board with ten holes drilled into it. They didn’t go all the way through this board and were made to stack the coppers like the one in the picture. I paused and handed the sketch to her. Here is the sketch so you can visualize it.

“Originally there were five coppers in each hole. Originally there would have been fifty of them. But four of them were missing. Can you guess what happened to those?”

“I can guess one of them. That one is in the corner of the picture, isn’t it?”

“I believe you are correct. What about the other three?”

“Oh, I don’t know, probably lost.”

I was shaking my head. “No Mary, I’m guessing that Miriam had all three at one time. She gave away two to the boy and his mother and the last one at the camp ground just before she met Peter. That idea came to me when I saw three missing coppers. To go on, I took two out before I packed the coppers back into the board. I used them late last night on the bracelets that I’m giving to Sam, this morning.”

“That’s great, maybe they will heal his hands.”

“I’m hoping so anyway. Mary, I don’t really know anything about what I am doing. I think I have researched all the oils and what is needed to construct the copper design for the bracelets and I think with a little experimenting some of them will work. I feel if I wasn’t, I would be getting denigrating feelings. When I came up from the cellar, I felt the stairs were made of gold, I was that happy with what I had put together to help Sam Giles.”

“Pete, what you have told me that the power or whatever now lays in your hands and not in mine as we always supposed. I am so relieved. I know with your mind and how you approach everything you will accomplish the success called for.”

“Generous compliments from my beautiful wife this morning.”

“You deserve them. You could go further in that if you would make me some of that beef hash of that pot roast dinner we had last night.”

“Your command is my wish.”

“You have that saying backward, mine Pete.”

“Oh sharp this morning aren’t you, but I will bow to your superiority.”

Mary’s pajamas were gaping slightly and I reached down and bared her breast. “Pete, what are you doing?”

“Just checking you out.” Mary was slowly unbuttoning her top.

“Inspect me if you must, but don’t take too long because I am hungry.”

“Let’s see, this nipple looks okay and the other one looks satisfactory. Your tummy is rounded out nicely and I know why.”

“Pete, stop it. I haven’t been up for hours and I have to go. Kiss these babies and let me up. Be nice to your pregnant wife and go make my hash. You tried to wake me last night and I just couldn’t come awake. Tell me what you wanted.

“I just told you most of it and I’m going over and see Sam and give him the bracelets I made. I was going to give them to him yesterday but I had a feeling they weren’t finished. I worked on them last night and installed two of the coppers. I feel the bracelets this morning are perfect. It is tough trying to keep up with Miriam. She talks in code. She did say to use my senses and that’s what I’m working with. I seem to be okay with everything and you this morning.”

“I know you are. Well, if you would stop attacking me, you are.”

“You love it.”

“I do, Pete.”

I saw Chloe turn into my driveway in my rear view mirror as I was leaving. I hoped Chloe was leaving Ricky instead of picking up Mary to go somewhere today. I was going to have to slow Chloe down from depending on Mary so much. Mary felt she owed Chloe because she had damaged her car before they became friends. No, I probably wouldn’t say anything. The time would come when I would say we couldn’t take Ricky that day and she would then get the message. I chuckled to myself. Miriam had our backs and somehow all would come out right.

Sam had not arrived at the woodworking shop yet so I drove down the street to his house. He was just coming out. “Morning Sam.”

“A good morning to you, Pete. You’re early, or maybe I’m a little late. There is nothing pushing at the shop this morning.”

“How are your hands?”

“Not much difference. The pain is still there. I will say that the skin on my hands feel a lot better. More pliable and softer, anyway. The bumps and nodules are still as bad as before. I almost soaked the hands again this morning. I’m still hoping for the best, you know.”

“Do you want to do it again, now? It can’t hurt. I have the bracelets I talked about with me, and I can fit them after we finish working on your hands.”

“Sure, come in with me. My two men left an hour ago to go off on their own today and Clara is up.” We went in and Clara was glad to see me.

“Hi, Mr. Manning, there is still coffee. The boys didn’t finish it. I’ll get the basin and heat up some water for you.”

“Clara, please call me Pete.” I sat down at the kitchen table and opened the box I had carried the bracelets in. Both Clara and Sam picked one up and examined it.

“Those are pretty and almost a work of art. I’d be proud to wear one just for the beauty of it.”

“I can make you up something, Clara. I played at making jewelry back when I was a kid in the school shop class, but then I joined the Army instead.”

Clara and Sam spotted the copper penny at the same time. “What is this?”

“That is more like a good luck charm. That etched fish on the face of it that goes next to your skin is important and supposed to have healing powers. That’s what an old legend says, anyway.”

“If you make me a bracelet, Pete, I don’t think I need that part.”

“I’ll do it soon, Clara. I need to help finish up the restaurant so they can open up on Wednesday. That’s when I go back to my regular construction job. At that time, I’ll have more time to mess around down in the cellar.”

“No hurry, it was just a thought, Pete.” Clara and Sam went about soaking his hands. I could see this hurt him at times, but Clara was sensitive enough and when she saw his pain, she immediately became gentle with the manipulations. When she finished and had his hands dry, we put the bracelets on.

They weren’t too tight or too loose. His concern was that the cap over the stud would come off. “If you are too concerned about this, I can solder a nut onto it and make you a small thump screw to screw the ends together.”

“I’ll try these for now. Lets go over to the restaurant and see Chloe and John and how near done they are.”

“May I go with you?”

“Of course, Clara, it will be good for you see what some of Sam’s work looks like.”

“Remember, Pete, I didn’t have any hands on work in this. It was mostly you and your men who actually did the work.”

“I’ll take that. Sam. You pointed out what should be done your two men made it look simple anyway.”

Sam’s sleeves came down over his bracelets hiding them from view. He said he wouldn’t mind if someone saw them anyway. “They are a medical device or I can claim they are.”

We entered the restaurant. The new window sashes had been installed and the grids that made it look like a many pane window had been snapped into place. The interior was warm and inviting. People might not notice, but the crown moldings and the beaded battens went well with the paneled walls and added a touch of class. There were a single row of booths around the room on three sides with a double row down the length of the room.

The women were working on the wall hanging where they were just smoothing out the forest scene over the large panel to go up on the wall. There was forest animals scattered about the scene. They were a couple of rabbits, a skunk, a fox, and a raccoon. The main attraction was a single stag deer with a doe deer and two fawns feeding. Various trees and bushes made it seem real.

Clara stopped to help smooth out the large scene. This was in the dining room. Sam and I walked by the door to the kitchen and into the bar. The bar room was lighter and cleaner than it was when I first saw it two weeks ago. There was a different scene on the wall hanging at the far end of this room. It was above the booths and smaller. The subject was a war scene with active soldiers advancing toward a bombed out building.

There were two A-10’s flying in low toward it and enemy soldiers running away toward the hilly background spread out beyond the building. Our troops had taken some damage for there was a stopped empty jeep with a personnel carrier lying on its side. There was a medic attending to two men near it. In the shadow of the personnel carrier, you could barely make out another soldier laying there on the ground with something covering him.

John came up to us and asked if it was too graphic. “No, I don’t think so. My Grandfather was in the Korean conflict when he was younger than I am. He said that back then wars that we were involved in were out in the open. You would see troop ships and planes unloading draped caskets. You would see actual war scenes as they were happening. Film would be flown to Hawaii, processed and flown to the news shows in the states before some of these battles were over. It was a different kind of war in Iraq.”

“You were there?”

“I was there, John.”

“Come on up to the bar, Pete. I think I can find you a cold one.”

While we were sitting at the bar, I asked John if he had all the help he needed to staff both the bar and the dining room.

“I do. Rachel, you’ve met her, is handling the bar and has hired a couple of bartenders she has worked with before. She’ll have a full crew on at 4:30 in the afternoon when it begins to get busy. Chloe will be here coming to work at eleven in the morning with one other person.

“I rounded up most of the staff in the dining room I had before they quit when they couldn’t stand Harrison. Between her and me, we’ll be working out the ordering what is needed to keep the liquor flowing and meat on the tables. We are starting with an experienced staff, and Chloe will get the hang of it with no problem. The bar isn’t that busy during two or three of the afternoon hours.”